Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Harry Potter Once Again Triumphs Over Ignorance

Today a judge in Georgia ruled that the Harry Potter books could stay in the school libraries.

Laura Mallory, who argued the popular fiction series is an attempt to indoctrinate children in witchcraft, said she still wants the best-selling books removed and may take her case to federal court.

The would be banner of books will probably not be deterred. People who want to subject other people's children to their beliefs usually don't know when to shut up.

Superior Court Judge Ronnie Batchelor's ruling upheld a decision by the Georgia Board of Education, which had supported local school officials.

County school board members have said the books are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination

Indeed, most books give people in school and out of school what they need more of; education.The close minded mother had an interesting observation.

"I have a dream that God will be welcomed back in our schools again," Mallory said. "I think we need him."

I have a dream that education will be welcomed back into our schools. I have a dream that these people will actually get a clue and work on those things that are important in school; reading, mathematics and an honest desire to experience thought and ideas that are outside of their normal experiences. These thoughts and ideas are usually sparked by the contents and messages in those things called books.

I have another dream that these people like Ms. Mallory would not expect public schools to teach their children those things that should be taught at home and in church. If this mother feels so strongly about those things she wishes to shield her children from then perhaps she should find a private school that mirrors her beliefs.

I suppose the moral police won't be satisfied until every last shred of fantasy and imagination is ground out of the brains of our children. Perhaps they have forgotten the fantasy worlds they discovered. Even Walt Disney wasn't above a little magic! Good vs Evil, friends helping each other and sharing their possessions? What's not to love about these books? Me, I have the full set of Harry Potter books and plan on keeping them for my grandchildren.

Why would any mother be against the Harry Potter books? They teach children how to deal with ostracism, how to deal with racism, how to deal with bullies, that learning is crucial to success, that teamwork is valuable, that love triumphs over all....surely they all come under the heading of 'christian values'?

The concept of Christian values is a sham and always has been. Any student of the early Church will see that there is no concept or interpretation that has not had Christians with their hands around each other's throats and indeed, it's still that way. The only common theme is believe, believe, believe whatever it is our sect is saying. That's fine with me, as long as their hands aren't around my throat.